Can i also discuss on Kento's technique here? I have one question. You will see that during his match against Igarashi, a lot of his shuttles were placed sort of midcourt. Were those dropshots? Drives? I just tried to do that today and I completely let other guys killing the shuttles. My aim is to play like Momota even if I plays worse. It makes me happy. Too bad i'm not a southpaw
Spoiler shot commented by Steen. Neutralizing shot.slice that goes downward deeper in the middle.after that shot opponent cannot do much.momota can get out of jail with that one or just continue neutralizing game waiting for opppnent to try angles which are hard since his shot was in the middle and not close to net so tight spinning netshot is hard for opponent.
Yes, downward direction. If close to the tape, can't be killed and forces opponent to hit from below tape. Also, another of his hallmark shots is the incredibly tight net shots and especially his deceptive inside out backhand net shot.
As mentioned by others above, these are called neutralization shots. If you are feeling your oponent is getting the upper hand there are a handfull of shots with can "neutralize" the situation. By playing a fast paced Drop Shot deep into the court (clearly behind the service line, and towards the center of the court) you can minimize the options your opponent can play. Based on your shot's speed it will be nearly impossible to play an answer which is shorter than your service line. Based on your placement of your neutra-drop the answer of your opponent cannot have any steep angels. For higher Men's singles you have to master these shots as they are really important. These shots are NOT mentioned to win an point, they are meant to get you out of trouble. Another neutra-shot will be a defensive clear towards the middle of your opponent. You are getting time and you cut down the angles your opponent can play. Momota & Chen Long Play these to perfection.
So for a fast paced drop shot deep into the court, I don't cut the shuttle right? Or should I cut shot it a little? In my mind the fast paced drop shot is more like a slow smash, more direct. And the shuttle should land behind the service line in the center. I still run the risk of the opponent attacking the shuttle and kill it OR dropping the shuttle really close to the net!
Unless I am mistaken, we are not talking about the basic drop shot. We are talking about a fast paced drop shot targeted behind the service line. It's a type of shot used by Kento Momota and i'm trying to copy that. I ended up embarassing myself lol. But it is not a drop shot per se
This is like my default shot. I just keep playing it until I get something I can work with with a bit easier. I tend to play to the middle with a bit of reverse slice from around the head, and normal slice from forehand side. However a little reverse or just flat also works well from the forehand side.
I'm sure I was doing it wrong but in my mind this was exactly what I was doing. But my opponent was either killing the shuttles or dropping them. So they are still free to do whatever they want. :/
Try doing clip smash with one third to half power. And it must cross the net within 3 inches of the tape to be effective.
Okay I will try that. But it is good to note that I am currently playing opponents who are 10 times stronger than me. Maybe that's one of the reason it is not working. If I keep failing, I will try it on some less strong opponents to see. I'll focus on that in all Momota's games now!
Try recording yourself with a good camera on a tripod from the other end. Maybe you're telegraphing your shots and your opponent can read them easily.
The Video is in german, but what you can see if the quality of the neutra-shot they are training. And you can hear the sound of the shots which is always a good indicator for speed. Even if the exercise isn't looking that hard, trust me, played with high pace, it's insane. But effective. If you can master these defensive footworks and shots, the offensive will come automatically. These guys are all german (semi-)pro players & coaches.
Momota is especially good at these neutralising shots. Specifically for backhands, I have some coaching content about these shots on my website: Preparation and contact point (backhand drop) Hitting action (backhand drop) These cover the most important basics, but there's certainly more to cover...
I am totally not getting this topic or the video. Sorry for being nerd but link of any video explaining or any player playing please?
Exactly what I was looking for. Maybe you could translate for me if you are german? Now I understand how fast it should be. When Momota do it, it seems slower maybe because of the camera angle. But the side camera give a good sense of speed. I lacked that and I was not near enough to the net. Thanks so much
